Menace to Society
by Carnival
Summary: The sequel to 'Survival of the Fittest.'
1. Default Chapter

Prologue

Prologue 

Lysander Philip stared at the holographic screen that popped up.He tapped on a link with his index finger.Another screen appeared.Philip scrolled down, scanning over the text lethargically.

A couple weeks ago, a man under his command, William J. Johns, had reported to him from the Hunter-Gratzner.The merchant vessel had been docked at the time Philip had received the message.The last account from the HG had come from System M-344/G.

The message that Johns had sent was what had prompted Lysander's curiosity.Mr. Johns' original business on the Hunter-Gratzner was to bring a particularly dangerous man back to Ursa Luna.But the message had nothing to do with his bounty.Instead it concerned Charla Voznelli.Even **Philip's** uppers had informed **him** to keep on the lookout for this young woman.

So lately, in his free time, Philip had been performing searches on any information he could find on her.But since any kind of downtime for Philip was just about nonexistent, he had only begun his investigation now, weeks after Johns' confirmation of having spotted her on the ship.

And yet, Philip could not even now devote much of his attention to this subject.Not since he had been notified that all contact had been lost with the Hunter-Gratzner.

Chapter 1 

** **

"Is she…dead?"Jack had trouble spitting out the word she dreaded; the word that she had seen so much of.She was relieved to finally be off of the deserted, alien-infested planet.

"Not yet," answered Riddick.Jack was turned around in the copilot's chair, looking back at him.The one and only Richard B. Riddick; escaped convict, murderer.He was kneeling beside the Muslim cleric Jack had come to know as Imam.A young woman lay with her head in Imam's lap.Jack knew her as Voz.Her full name: Charla Adrian Voznelli.But Jack knew her simply as Voz; Jack didn't know what her full name was; only by the name that everyone else had called her.

Jack heard the sound of fabric ripping.Riddick was tearing Voz's shirt open.Jack didn't see the bloody gash that Riddick revealed, though.The wound trailed down the length of Voz's right side."Oh, shit," Riddick whispered.

Jack stood up."Is it bad?" she asked nervously.She raised herself on her toes, trying to see over Riddick and Imam.

"Is there a med kit somewhere on this piece of shit?" Riddick said.His voice sounded very urgent; Jack knew that finding a med kit was crucial.

Jack had seen one.She had been tempted to go get it for Riddick's leg, but she never got up the courage to even suggest it."Yeah.I think I saw one over…" she began to say.

"Well, then go get it!"Riddick cut her off.The volume and intensity of his voice startled Jack.She literally jumped into action.She grabbed the med kit from the back of the transport and, clutching it close to her chest, brought it over to Riddick.

She caught a glimpse of Voz's side."Oh my god," she murmured, covering her mouth.

Riddick paid the girl no attention.He took the metal case and set to work quickly.He opened it and groaned.Without even having to check he knew that most of the supplies in the case wouldn't be worth a shit.Riddick remembered that all of it would be at least 22 years old by now.He felt like hurling the med kit at a wall.

There were bandages, though.Those would still be good at any rate.Voz's body twitched and then the movement ended as quickly as it had begun.Riddick dropped the bandages and leaned down, placing his ear near Voz's mouth."Fuck!" he shouted.Voz had stopped breathing.

"Is she gonna die?"Jack's bottom lip quivered as she spoke.The girl looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Not looking up, Riddick replied, "Not if I can help it."He and Imam laid Voz's lifeless body out on the floor panels of the small ship.Imam stood and Jack ran into his embrace.She buried her head in his shoulder.Jack couldn't possibly bear to see yet another life slip away.

Meanwhile, Riddick began mouth-to-mouth and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.As he pressed down on her chest, he felt the broken rib bones shifting.She was gonna be hurtin' when she got back up.

**_If_**_ she gets back up._Riddick forced the little, taunting voice out of his head.It was really getting on his nerves."In with the good, out with the bad," he encouraged her.He tried mouth-to-mouth one last time.

Voz's spine arched and her body convulsed for a brief moment.Riddick sat back and watched her body lower back down to the floor.Water trickled out the side of her mouth.She convulsed once more, more violent this time.She sat upright suddenly and began coughing and sputtering.More water sprayed from her throat.Riddick grabbed her and held her up on her hands and knees.

Riddick laid her on her back again."She's out again," he announced to Imam and Jack.They were just relieved to know that Voz was alive."But she should be ok."Riddick took some of the bandages and pressed them to the gash on her side in an attempt to absorb some of the blood.

"Go," said Imam.He knelt beside Voz."I can take of her, Mr. Riddick."

Riddick stood._If she doesn't live, I'll…_ he thought.He'd what?What was he gonna do?_What're ya gonna do?_ said the taunting voice._Just what do think you're gonna do?What does it matter if she lives or dies?You kept your promise and so did she.You didn't let her die back on that hellhole.So it's ok if she dies now.Think of it this way, you're probably just gonna drop everyone off on the first planet you come across._Riddick tried to drown out the voice.

"Is she really going to be ok?" Jack asked.She was sitting in the copilot's seat again.Boy, that kid had a lot of guts.

Riddick came and sat in the pilot's seat."Yeah.She'll be fine.In a bit of pain, but fine all the same.I just hope somebody picks us up soon," Riddick said.

***

A couple of hours had passed.No one had moved.They seemed to be drifting aimlessly through space.The sounds of Imam's praying were heard throughout the ship.For the past few hours.No one was too sure how long it had been really.

Voz moaned.Jack looked back.The bandages lay at her side, a deep shade of red from all of the blood.Jack suddenly noticed how awful Voz's appearance was.Her shirt was drenched with blood, sweat, and rain.Her face was streaked with mud and dust.And underneath that layer, her skin had been burned by the planet's three suns beating down on her._Do **I** look like that?_ Jack wondered.

Voz swallowed."Am I dead yet?" she asked.To Jack it sounded like her voice was hoarse, more than usual.

"Far from it," came Riddick's reply.But he never even so much as turned to look at her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When Voz woke up again, Riddick was holding her up, helping her walk.She was on some kind of ship.Her whole chest ached and her legs felt weak.She felt light headed and her vision wasn't all that great, either.The lights seemed too bright, nearly painful.Even Riddick had put his goggles back on.And on top of all that, her right side felt like it was on fire._What the fuck happened? _thought Voz.

A woman, maybe 30 or so, approached them.She was probably much older, though.It was hard to tell now, since so many people used cryo-sleep.The woman's dark hair was pulled back securely in a tight knot.

"Where…?" Voz started to ask.

"You're on the Libra.It's your standard passenger vessel," the woman explained."You're lucky we picked you up."The woman glanced down at Voz.Her side was covered in fresh blood from the gash that had been reopened by movement."Jesus Christ!" the woman exclaimed."You're all cut up, honey!We gotta get you to a med station."She paused._Good goin', Christy,_ the woman thought._Now, what do you do?Tell 'em you can't help 'em?Make 'em leave?_"I'm sorry there's nothing we can do for you here."Christy looked at them gravely, maybe even apologetically._Jesus!Do you have any idea of what you just did?Take a look at that guy; does he look like the kind of man you want to upset?_

"Is there anything you can do?" Riddick asked.The way he said it made the question seem more like a request._You damn well better be able to do **something**, bitch._He shifted his grasp on Voz.

The woman bit her lower lip.She had to do something, anything at all, as long as she didn't piss this guy off."The best I can do is give her some morphine."Her gaze drifted to Riddick's wounded leg."You're not looking to good yourself…"

"I don't need anything," Riddick said.His face held no expression.Voz remembered feeling a sharp sting in her forearm and then a feeling of what would have been complete calm to most people.Voz tried to fight it, the urge to sleep.Sleep brought a feeling of vulnerability to her.Slowly, everything faded into blackness as Voz's eyes fluttered shut, the drug took over her, and she fell into a sleep of unconsciousness.

***

"Names?"Voz had her eyes shut.They fluttered open at the sound of the voice.Once again, Riddick was supporting her.The question had come from a young man in a uniform who stood in front of her and Riddick.He held an electronic clipboard in hand.

"Victor Hopkins," answered Riddick."And this is my wife and sister."_I hope this works._Riddick glanced at Voz.He wished he could communicate with her telepathically.It would really be useful right about now._Don't fuck this up,_ he warned her mentally.

Voz started._Sister?Who the hell else is…?_Voz leaned forward and looked around Riddick's body.Jack stood on his other side.She leaned back, satisfied.A thought sent her heart plummeting to the pit of her stomach._Wait, **wife**?Oh shit.Riddick, you bastard, you better not be doing what I think you are…_

**"Whose** sister?" asked the man in uniform.He looked up from the clipboard.He eyed Jack up and down hungrily.

Riddick's voice took on a protective tone."**My** sister," he growled._Well, at least he did **one** thing right, _Voz snorted.Had Riddick claimed Jack was **Voz's** sister, the man in uniform wouldn't have hesitated to do as he pleased with Jack._Sick fucker._

"What are their names?" the man continued.

"Lizzy Vincent and Heather."

The man looked at Riddick suspiciously."Thought your name was Hopkins."

"It is.She," here, Riddick inclined his head toward Voz, "wanted to keep her maiden name."

"I see," the man said slowly.He now looked at the trio carefully."Well, then…Mr. Hopkins, Ms. Hopkins, Ms. Vincent," he nodded he head to each one respectively, "…welcome aboard the Phoenix.I'm paging medical technicians right this minute."

As they waited, Voz felt herself begin to swoon.Her legs buckled.She felt cold, so cold.Everything was getting numb, except for that burning pain on her right side.Riddick pulled her to her feet.The last thing Voz remembered for quite some time was being carried by Riddick down a brightly lit hallway.

***

The bed wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world.Voz had slept in better.But it was more than anything she had had lately.At first, she wasn't quite sure where she was.Voz stared around the small room for a while.The first word that came to mind was 'sterile.'Everything in the room was made of metal.The bed was built into one wall.That's how small the room was.

Voz lay on her back.Her hand strayed to her neck.Finding nothing there, she began to panic.Then, she remembered._Riddick, _she thought.She remembered that night on the planet.When she had sat in the rain, surely in her death throes.Voz slammed her fist down on the bed."Fuck!"

The door whooshed opened.Riddick ducked underneath it before it even reached the top.But he didn't rush, he was casual.Voz glared at him."Thanks a lot."

Riddick stopped._What did I do now?_He gave her a questioning look.The goggles made his facial expressions even less readable, though."For what?"

"I'm talkin' about my goddamn necklace!" Voz shrieked.She grabbed at her throat like the necklace was there.

"You were gonna use it."

Voz strained to sit up."No, I wasn't g—"

Riddick walked over to the bedside."Maybe I gotta refresh your memory.If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be—"

"My memory's just fine."_Well, maybe not **perfect**,_ Voz thought.There were plenty of holes and spaces ever since that fateful night."Goddammit, Riddick!Did you ever think that maybe there was some other reason why—"

"Why, then?What's the deal?Why's it so important to you?"Riddick crossed his massive arms over his well-built chest and leaned against a wall.

Voz threw herself down on the bed.She too crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the ceiling, lying on her back.She let out a sigh of exasperation."You don't understand a goddamn thing," she said, shaking her head.

"Hey, **you** asked the question."Riddick straightened a little and pointed a finger at her."Now what's the answer?What's the other reason why you'd keep cyanide other than to kill yourself or others with?"

She didn't answer right away.Voz contemplated for a while._You better make a decision soon, girl,_ she told herself._Do you tell him or do you keep it a secret?What's it gonna be?_With another heavy sigh, she made her decision.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Riddick had leaned back against the wall again."Well?" he asked.He looked down at Voz, waiting for a response.

"Well, I don't see how telling you could fuck my life up anymore than it already is," Voz muttered.She was silent again._Where to start?_Voz pushed the thin blanket covering her away and swung her legs over the side of the bed.Her face colored when she realized she had no pants on, only underwear.All the same, she continued to get up wincing as she did so.

"No," Riddick said."You need to stay in bed.You're still recovering."

"No," Voz retorted."I need to get up."She stood in front of him.No shirt either.Instead, bandages covered her torso.Voz felt a little shaky on her legs, but did her best to hide it.

Riddick noticed."You don't want me to help you get back in that bed," he warned.He pushed himself away from the wall and came toward her.

Voz took a step back."I'm **not** going to."She stood her ground._He's not making me do anything._

Riddick grabbed her around the waist without thinking.Voz cried out and struggled only causing her more pain._You dumb fucker! _Riddick yelled at himself.He let go of Voz and she fell onto the bed.She grabbed him by his shirt to try to stable herself.Riddick lost his balance, though, and followed her onto the bed, falling on top of her.He hung over her for a brief moment, straddling her beneath him.He was poised above her on his hands and knees.

Then the door opened.Riddick got up quickly.A nurse entered the room."What's going on in here?" she asked worriedly."Is everything ok?"She looked around the room nervously.

"Yes, ma'am," Riddick assured her."Everything's fine.She just wanted to get up."

The nurse looked at Voz.She came over to the bed and began fussing with Voz's bandages."You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I tried to tell her, but she insisted."Voz shot Riddick a deathly look.

"Well, then, if you need anything, just call and someone should come," the nurse said, once she'd finished.

Riddick waited for the door to close before he spoke.He turned to Voz."You happy now?"

"Fuck you," Voz said through clenched teeth.She was sitting up again, but not leaving the bed.

"You never told me about the cyanide."He leaned against the wall again, looking at Voz expectantly.

"It has a lot to do with the Galactic Militia," Voz answered quickly.

"No shit it does," Riddick growled.He was getting tired of half-answered-question."But what?"

"It…it's a…a safeguard," she stuttered.

"Against who?"Getting information from her was going to be tough.

"Anyone.But mostly mercs."She stopped and Riddick waited for her further explanation.From there, everything seemed to just spill out of her mouth."The Company and the Militia are basically pitted against each other.Don't ask me why.One of those political mysteries.So I've had my run-ins with the law, but nothing serious…yet.

"Anyways," Voz continued, "despite their opposition, there's some merging going on.Meaning, some lawmen make deals with members of the Galactic Militia.Militia soldiers turn their cyanide into the Company.Uppers in the Galactic Militia know who's traded sides if they can identify a former member who has no cyanide.So anyone without it is automatically accused of betrayal and put to death."

Voz stopped abruptly._Shit,_ she thought._Did I say too much?_Something sparked within her._What's it matter?Like you said, you're already fucked._

Riddick understood now.The screaming match between her and Fry about Owens._'You could have saved Owens a lot of pain.He didn't have to die like that.''It would have cost me my life.'Literally, huh?_

_ _

"There," Voz interrupted his thoughts."I'm done.Now it's your turn to do some explaining."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"First of all," Voz said, "where's Imam?"

Inwardly, Riddick was relieved.He didn't know what he had expected the explaining to be about, but the idea that Voz just wanted to be filled in on what had happened hadn't crossed his mind."On the Libra, he stayed to go to New Mecca," he answered.

Voz nodded her head."Why didn't Jack go with him?" she asked after a minute when she remembered that the girl was with them when they had boarded this med station.

"She refused to," Riddick said."She insisted that she wouldn't go with him.Can't blame the kid.Would you go to New Mecca when you could be with a convict and a…"

"And a what, Riddick?" Voz asked when he trailed off into silence.She grinned."What am I?"_I'd like to hear this one._She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

"I haven't quite figured that out yet."Riddick glanced at her and their eyes locked.

Voz broke the silence.She couldn't stand the look that Riddick was giving her.Voz feared a repeat of the episode in the coring room on the desert planet.But she also **wanted** it to happen…in way._No,_ she scolded herself._No, you don't want that.Even if you did, now's **not** the time._"Why didn't you say Jack was your brother?" she asked."I mean, she's got the looks for it."

"When authorities start lookin' for us, they're gonna look for a boy, not a girl."

"Authorities?"Voz looked at Riddick questioningly."What're you talking about?"

"It was a merchant ship with forty plus passengers.Someone is gonna be a little concerned when no contact can be made with it.They're gonna go to any ships that are or were near the place that anything was last heard from the Hunter-Gratzner.The Libra's one of those.As far as they know, there were four of us and one was a teenage boy."There was silence again."Is there anything else?"

"Well, I was gonna ask you 'What do we do now?'But—"

"Now, it's time for you to get some rest, Missy."The nurse came in again.She shooed Riddick out of the room and fussed with Voz's bandages and whatnot.Finally, she left and Voz reluctantly drifted off into the world of sleep.

***

The Phoenix had the lighting turned off to create "night."Voz was restless, though.She'd been sleeping all day, and now she felt refreshed.She had to get up and move around, do something.

Voz got out of bed and, rummaging around in the drawers below the bed, she found a pair of navy-colored pants.She opened the door to her room and stepped out into the corridor.It was devoid of people.She decided to just wander down the hallway until she felt like going back or someone else told her to.Voz went to her left, and, unknowingly, toward Riddick's room on the Phoenix.

Voz hadn't taken more that a few steps when she heard a blood-curdling shriek come from a room somewhere down the corridor.Riddick heard it, too.He jumped up from his bed quickly; he hadn't been asleep at all or anywhere near it.Riddick crossed the hall swiftly and entered Jack's room, where the scream had come from.He entered the room and the girl literally jumped into his arms.Riddick stumbled and landed sitting on the bed with Jack sobbing into his chest.Not knowing what else to do, Riddick allowed this.

And this is how Voz found him.As soon as she heard the scream she dashed down the hall as best she could since she was still recovering and not in the best of physical health.She came to an abrupt halt when she reached the room.She nearly stopped breathing.Riddick had his back toward her, but all the same Voz could tell it was him nonetheless.There sat one of the most dangerous men Voz had ever known in her life holding a teenage girl with an identity crisis.Her own life had been threatened by him at least three different times._Then, again,_ a persistent voice told her, _how many times did he **save** your ass?_She stood by the doorway for a moment, staring at the scene.Then, quietly, she turned and left to go back to her room.

Voz puzzled over the sudden, unknown emotion that had washed over her.What was this feeling?It was a lot like how she had felt when she saw Riddick with the now, most probable, deceased Fry.Even then, she couldn't quite place what it was.It was something like she had felt when she saw other people.Happy people.But that had been so many years ago, when she was living on the streets.Then the Militia got her.Not six months into her recruitment and the feeling of…jealousy…was quickly replaced with one of numbness.

She'd begun to make friends.One day four of them were shot and killed for no apparent reason.She never made any more friends, except for one, and stopped talking to the ones she had.Voz remembered that day vividly.But like everything else of importance to her, it was becoming fainter and less clear.She was putting it behind her, forgetting it, convinced that the only important thing in life was that she was still alive.But Voz would forever have a burning hate inside her for everyone that had ever brought harm to her, ruined her life, even if she couldn't remember exactly what had been done.One day, she'd get her revenge, even if in doing it her days were done.

With those thoughts in mind, Voz returned to her room.The thoughts brought on another feeling: self pity, one that she hated.Each time that feeling crept up on her, Voz reprimanded herself with, _You're stronger than that! o_r, _Grow up for God's sake!, o_r something of the like.She didn't achieve sleep that night.She fought with herself until the next morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

For the next week, the same thing happened every night.It became routine.But what Voz didn't know was that Riddick knew she was there.He sensed her.He smelled her.And he didn't understand why she was there.Why she was held in such awe.He felt like he was being monitored in a psychiatric ward.Like when he had been incarcerated.And yet he let her watch._For Jack's sake,_ he told himself._I'm all this kid has got._Even **he** was stunned as he thought those words.Riddick forced the idea to the darkest corner of his mind.

Every night Jack would wake up from some nightmare.They were always about the monsters and the dark and the planet.But every time he held her and she hugged him, Riddick never gave anything back.He never had.But it didn't matter to Jack.She was comforted simply by the presence of another person.She never even noticed.

It only took that week's time for Voz to heal enough to be moved from the medical sector to the same sector as Riddick and Jack.She was moved to Riddick's room to be exact.Voz had mixed feelings about that.As night approached, Voz found herself in the same room as Riddick, preparing for sleep.The rooms were identical to Voz's but for a few differences.They each had a shower stall, a sink, and mirror.Voz then noted that the room, like hers, had only one bed.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" she asked.

"In the bed," Riddick answered.

Voz nodded."Then where are you sleeping?"

"In the bed," he said in the same tone.He gave her a look like it was a dumb question that was easily answered.

Voz let her jaw drop."Uh uh," she shook her head."No, I'm not doing that.It's bad enough I have to share a room with you.I'm not gonna share a bed, too."She crossed her arms.Had some certain things not occurred in her past, she would have jumped eagerly into bed with Riddick._There was only One and that was Chadwick and he's dead,_ she kept reminding herself._That's right.He's dead, _said the same voice that had seemed to side with Riddick._So, maybe he wasn't the One.Anyway—_She cut herself off._Chad was—**is** the One!_She stopped suddenly.The voice was gone, but Voz just felt stupid.She hadn't fought with herself like this in ages._It's awake._

_ _

"Well, you're gonna have to."Riddick's voice came crashing through her thoughts."I think it'd be a little suspicious for us to be separated."

"Huh?"She looked at Riddick to make sure he was serious._Of course he's serious.In the time that you've known him, when has he ever joked about something like that?_

_ _

"Maybe you weren't awake when we got on this piece of shit," Riddick said, "but we're supposed to be married.Remember?"Memories hit Voz like a ton of bricks."It'd be a little suspicious for a married couple to be sleeping separately."

_Yeah, well something else is a little suspicious,_ Voz thought.The idea that Riddick had done that on purpose came to her."Why did I have to be your fuckin' wife?" she asked.

"Because Jack's too young," he said simply.

"I mean, why couldn't I have been you're sister, too?"The volume of her voice was rising dangerously high.

"You don't look like me."_You're gorgeous, but you don't look like me,_ he thought.

"That's bullshit."

_I don't got that fuckin' attitude, either._Riddick was getting annoyed with Voz."Fine.Go get your own fuckin' room."Now that he thought about it, he didn't like thought of having to put up with her."Not my fault when they start askin' questions."

"I'll just tell 'em we're have 'marital problems,'" Voz said as she left.She took a room across the hall from Riddick's.She was bristling from anger._I can't stand him._She walked over to the mirror above the sink._Then what are you waiting for?Just up and leave,_ said the Riddick-supporter._Admit it.You want him._She gritted her teeth, trying not to listen._What the fuck does **he** want with **me**?_ she asked the voice.No answer.Voz grinned over her triumph.She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She turned on the water and washed her faced quickly._What **does** he want with me?_Voz couldn't even begin to think of the answer to that question._It's my right to know,_ she decided, heading to the door.She walked out planning to go to Riddick's room."And another thing," she yelled."What—"Riddick wasn't in his room.There was only one other place he could be.Voz turned away from the scene, full of emotions.She was angry, and jealous, and desperate all at the same time.Angry because she felt like a child.Jealous because Riddick never showed her that kind of care.And desperate because she felt so alone.She stood in her room, on the verge of tears.

The door opened and Voz spun around with lightening speed.Riddick stood in the doorway."Don't ya wish these had locks?"Voz merely glared at him."What the hell is your problem?" he asked.

Voz turned away from him."I don't have a problem."

Riddick let out a genuine bark of laughter."You don't actually think I didn't know you were there?C'mon."Voz stiffened, holding back the tears.The tears she'd been holding back for ages.The child in her wanted to turn to him and cry into his chest, but she hardly knew that child anymore.She'd only been a child for a few years of her life, and that wasn't long enough.So she fought back the tears."Did you?" Riddick said.

Now, Voz turned to him."Just go," she whispered.Riddick swallowed hard when he saw her.The raw emotion on her face seemed out of place.Riddick reached out and pulled Voz close to him.He didn't know what else to do.Her body was stiff in his embrace and pulled away quickly."What are you doing?" she asked, staring at him with wild eyes.It disturbed Riddick that Voz didn't know what he was doing.She truly didn't, he could see it in her eyes.Riddick took his goggles off.Slowly he put his hand up to Voz's cheek.At first, she withdrew, like a frightened animal, but Riddick held her there.Once again, he pulled her close to his body.For a moment, she remained ridged.Then Riddick felt her body go limp and submit.It was almost as though Voz's body had let out a heavy sigh.


End file.
